[Alpha] Greenline - A qml Whatsapp client for Ubuntu Touch

nbdynl

@brenno.almeida the version after fixes the counter that kept growing till reboot. amazing

brenno.almeida

Thanks you all, keep feedback coming, it helps a lot. No problem to report usability / polish issues aswell.

@nbdynl yeah broke that a while ago, still not 100% correct as muted chats still counts but at least consistent now.

Vlad Nirky

@brenno.almeida
Thanks a lot for this great app!
I get the impression—purely subjective, mind you—that the app uses quite a bit of power.
Do you think it would be possible to add an option in the settings to set the refresh rate for new messages (or even to stop it unless I check manually)?
Or am I mistaken?
What do you think?

Linus67

@Vlad-Nirky I use the latest version from yesterday and test it over last night.
I haven't noticed any increased battery drain. The Pixel 3a switches to deep sleep mode without any issues. < 2% battery drain per hour. Tested last night with notifications enabled.

brenno.almeida

@Vlad-Nirky Its not an impression, the app is inefficient in its current state, optimizations are needed. The perception will vary depending on the amount of whatsapp data you receive. Its a combination of having the backend written in python (which means that on receiving new events, a python process is created to process it on the fly) and the qml frontend re-rendering on each event that emits a qml update. So for example receiving a new chat means re-rendering the whole chat list.

Not too worried about it yet, but something for me to look in the future. I'm not 100% decided on how this app will manage its data so not gonna waste time optimizing something that might change. Probably will get back to this once the app support all possible Whatsapp events / message types, which will give clarity on how to model everything.

ChromiumOS-Guy

@brenno.almeida so a premenantly temporary solution.
yeah just make sure to refactor at some point. great client as is but i recommend you structure the client around the data not the other way, that way lies pain suffering and keyboard bashing.

brenno.almeida

@ChromiumOS-Guy please keep the discussion on feedback and suggestions, avoiding giving orders or similar statements.

The way you put it is a bit rude for my taste. It does not sound intentional, but with a bit of out of context to me. Its not that the app is being developed without a data model in mind, more like new requirements (replies, edits, new message types, etc.) requires rethink on how things are done, which is pretty common on any medium o higher complexity project.

ChromiumOS-Guy

@brenno.almeida i am sorry i did not mean to hurt you or be rude. as for permanently temporary solutions again my advice is to avoid this or refactor after the fact.
high complexity means compromises what im advising here is that for what your describing i don't think you should compromise right now because you won't be able to back out without a lot of effort.

Linus67

I wouldn't use a META product if there were alternatives. But there are a lot of people who are very resistant to change. There are groups for their kids' school activities: soccer, tennis, music, and so on.

If you use Ubuntu Touch every day, a lightweight QML app like Greenline is perfect. You can check WhatsApp messages when needed. In an emergency, you can send a message like, “I'll be 10 minutes late.”

Personally, I prefer a WhatsApp alternative that is fast and stable, uses few resources, and adapts well to changes in WhatsApp’s data structure—such as the Go library, whatsmeow, protobuf structures, and WebSocket conditions on the servers.

I don’t need features like video or forms.
If someone wants all of WhatsApp’s features (including META AI) on Ubuntu Touch, then they have the wrong device.

Keep Greenline lean, efficient, and adaptable to changes at Meta for a long life on Ubuntu Touch. Many people and groups still need some time before they’re ready to switch to alternatives.

brenno.almeida

There's a new release for this app. This release contains a big standardization / internal refactor. I highly recommend that you:

Logout from the app in your main Whatsapp device
In Greenline settings, reset the app
Install the update
Then login again

If you don't disconnect, there's a high chance that the app will crash in some places. As we approach to a beta release, I added more safeguards to catch bugs and make the app more robust, fixing some bugs on the way. Hopefully this will be the last time this will be needed, as from now on I'll adopt a data migration system for changes.

https://github.com/brennoflavio/greenline/releases

Changes:

Allow sending documents
Add option to catch and report crashes
Add option to pause daemon when closing the app
Render Whatsapp text messages with buttons
Fix images rotating in chat page
Restore old behavior for unread count bubble in app drawer
Handle Group Information and other whatsmeow events
Remove daemon configuration database, centralize all configuration in python
Harden media download, prevent crashes when downloading unavailable media
Reorganize code into modules, better separation of concerns
Add tests for daemon <> python communication and python <> qml communication
Document and test all python interfaces, with real, sanitized Whatsmeow data
App now validates at build and at runtime all data structures, logs errors, and ensures consistency between app parts

mihael

@brenno.almeida Amazing work, thank you so much!

One thing I noticed - and I don't think it has only started in this latest version - is that if I open a conversation from the app and not from the notification then the notification doesn't dissapear - I think I remember it used to.